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“We’re constantly developing dishes that walk the line
between on-trend flavors and nostalgia,” explained Feld-
man. “Plant-forward and blended protein approaches are
huge market trends, so we wanted to take a non-familiar
product like jackfruit and marry it with a nostalgic prod-
uct like pulled pork barbecue to honor the best of both
worlds. What better way to figure it all out than staging
a limited-time pop-up in the heart of the South?”
The pop-up dining events were held during lunch
at Belmont University and during dinner at Lipscomb
University. At the free events, which were open to all
members of the campus community, guests were invited to
sample char siu pork and jackfruit barbeque sandwiches
with Thai red curry coconut sauce. The sandwiches were
accompanied by sweet potato fries with blackberry sri-
racha ketchup.
The “You Don’t Know Jack” events represented a
collaborative effort between Sodexo and a variety of
suppliers. Sodexo chefs Andreas Ortner at Belmont University ingly positive, with three out of four respondents raving about
and Darry Huntsman at Lipscomb University led the on-site the flavor and nutritional benefits of the dish.
culinary teams. “I really enjoyed my jackfruit barbeque sandwich,” reported
One major goal of the events was to engage students with one student. “I’d never had the fruit itself before, so that was
a fun experience that showcased culinary innovation and lev- really tasty to experience for the first time.”
eraged recent dining trends. Pop-up dining continues to gain “I think jackfruit is a great low-cost way to add fruit and
popularity for its unique, quirky nature, and it was the perfect flavor to dishes,” remarked another student. “The sandwich
way to get students excited to try something new. is delicious, too!”
At both events, guests were encouraged to provide immedi- Due to the success of the two sampling events, Sodexo
ate, real-time feedback via myDtxt, the company’s text-based is working to introduce the recipe at other partner campuses
communication platform. Students’ feedback was overwhelm- in the near future.

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